How to drink green tea without the side-effects

Green tea contains countless health benefits that make it a favourite among fitness enthusiasts. However, side-effects that it can cause force many people to skip its nutritional benefits. While it is the caffeine in green tea that is mainly responsible for causing side-effects, few other substances in it too can add to your trouble. Here we provide you with the correct way of consuming green tea that can help you derive maximum benefits sans side-effects.

Fighting caffeine

While an 8-ounce serving of brewed green tea can contain 24 to 45 milligrams of caffeine, the caffeine content in a similar serving of coffee could range from 98 to 200 milligrams. Excessive caffeine consumption can result in irregular heartbeat, heartburn, irritability and nervousness. Caffeine in green tea can cause calcium that your body needs for stronger bones to leave your system. It is for this reason that green tea must be completely avoided by osteoporosis patients. And for others, the consumption must be kept low. Limit your intake to 5 cupfuls a day.

Avoiding an upset stomach

Tannins found in green tea can be a major factor behind an upset stomach as they cause it to produce more acid. People who suffer from acid reflux are at the highest risk of suffering from an upset stomach triggered by green tea. To cut down the risk of stomach problems, drink green tea along with your meals. You may also add milk to soothe stomach acid.

Green tea and iron deficiency

Green tea is best when consumed along with meals, especially for people with acid reflux problems. People with iron deficiency, however, should avoid drinking green tea with meals.

Apart from these, there are certain medications that react with green tea and have harmful effects on the body. If you are on drugs such as ephedrine, clozapine, lithium, monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs), phenylpropanolamine and antibiotics, you must avoid green tea completely.